Prince Andrew cancels major event for Sarah Ferguson after losing title

Under-pressure Prince Andrew is reported to have cancelled a birthday party for his former wife Sarah Ferguson as the royal faced mounting pressure from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Sarah, who is well-known by the moniker Fergie, was due to celebrate her 66th birthday on Wednesday, October 15 with a big bash at the home the couple share on the Windsor estate.

According to the Sun on Sunday, Fergie and Andrew had been due to mark the occasion with family, friends and estate workers at the Royal Lodge but the prince called the event off as he came under mounting pressure over his royal titles. On Friday Andrew announced he would stop using his remaining titles and honours and will no longer be known as the Duke of York amid renewed controversy surrounding his role in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and fresh scrutiny over alleged contact with a suspected Chinese spy.

Speaking about the reported party cancellation, a friend told the Sun on Sunday, "There was a big party organised for Fergie.

The added: "All the staff and estate workers, as well as friends, were invited and very excited. But Prince Andrew cancelled it at the last minute. In many ways the party was over for Andrew, he knew it was crunch time."

Andrew's bombshell announcement he was relinquishing his titles came days before the publication a memoir from Virginia Giuffre. Andrew reportedly paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with her in 2022, despite insisting he had never met her.

Ms Giuffre alleged she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, including when she was 17, after being trafficked by convicted paedophile Epstein. She said in her memoir that Andrew acted as if sex with her was his "birthright".

The former duke used the statement about relinquishing his title to insist claims against him were untrue, saying: "As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."

Virginia Giuffre's family, who lived in Australia, appeared on UK TV last night and urged King Charles to go further and take away his brother's princeship. Ms Giuffre's brother, Sky Roberts, commended the King but said there is "more that he could do".

Mr Roberts told ITV News: "I want to commend the King and I want to commend the UK for taking some action. While it may not be enough, in a lot of ways that the survivors view it, it's still a lot more than what we've been given from our own government here, even though we possess the Epstein files.

"Now, for the King, I think there's more that he could do. He does have the ability to strip him even further of the prince title, which we would call upon. I think we've already taken all these necessary steps. Why not just take it another step further and relinquish him of his prince title as well?"

The titles and honours Andrew will no longer use include his wedding day titles - the Duke of York, the Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh, his knighthood as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and his role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

The prince stepped down from public life in 2019 after a Newsnight interview in which he said he "did not regret" his friendship with Epstein. He was later stripped of his military patronages by the late Queen, and stopped using his HRH title.